Furniture with body contour accommodating support system

ABSTRACT

An item of furniture such as a bed or chair provides increased comfort by supporting a body resting thereon with a distribution of support forces which match the body&#39;&#39;s weight distribution while simultaneously conforming to the contour of the supported body. This is accomplished by supporting the body with a plurality of spaced force means which are interconnected with a common force transmitting means. The spacings of the force means, the individual support forces provided by the force means, or both may be adjusted to achieve the desired support force distribution. Changes in body contour are accommodated by a movement of the force transmitting means without changing the magnitudes of the support forces.

United States Patent 1 Lutchansky 1 Feb. 20, 1973 [54] FURNITURE WITHBODY CONTOUR ACCOMMODATING SUPPORT SYSTEM [76] lnventor: MiltonLutchansky, 29 Lake Shore Dr. R.D. N0. 3, Dover, NJ. 07801 [22] Filed:Aug. 31, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 68,306

3,288,525 1l/1966 Cerf ..297/284 Primary ExaminerPaul R. GilliamAtt0meyAlvin D. Hooper 57 ABSTRACT An item of furniture such as a bed orchair provides increased comfort by supporting a body resting thereonwith a distribution of support forces which match the bodys weightdistribution while simultaneously conforming to the contour of thesupported body. This is accomplished by supporting the body with aplurality of spaced force means which are interconnected with a commonforce transmitting means. The spacings of the force means, theindividual support forces provided by the force means, or both may beadjusted to achieve the desired support force distribution. Changes inbody contour are accommodated by a movement of the force transmittingmeans without changing the magnitudes of the support forces.

14 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEBZ 0 i975 ShEET 10F 4 //v l/E/Vr09 M/L TON LU 7' CHANSK V AGENT PAIENIE FEBZO 197a SHEET 2 OF 4 IlNVENTOR M/LTON LUTCHANS/(Y AG/fN I PATENTEDFEBZO I915 3,717, 376

SHEET 3 OF 4 IN I/EN TOP M/L TON L uTcHA/vs/(y AGE/VT PATENTEDFmmsnSHEET l 0F 4 FIG/0 us ll4 n6 //v l/EN TOR M/L TON L U 7' CHANSK Y AGENTFURNITURE WITH BODY CONTOUR ACCOMMODATING SUPPORT SYSTEM BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention This invention relates to asupport system for fumiture such as beds and chairs. More particularly,it relates to a support system for such furniture which readily conformsto the contour of a body resting on the furniture while supporting thebody with a support force or pressure distribution matched with the bodyweight distribution so that increased comfort is provided.

2. Background of the Invention Most presently used support systems foritems of furniture such as beds and chairs utilize spring and wirearrangements in the body support pads thereon which provide at best onlylimited flexibility in adapting to the specific contour of the supportedbody. Because the support force distribution from such systems does notnecessarily match the weight distribution of the supported body, thebody must develop internal bending moments by tensioning of muscles andhence muscle strain in various parts of the body may occur. Such supportsystems are designed for the average person and thus may not be ascomfortable as desired for persons not having the physicalcharacteristics of the average person. Further, such support systems maynot be comfortable even to the average person as his body assumesdifferent positions because of lack of comformability of the supportsystem to specific body contours and the irregular support forcedistribution resulting therefrom. Because of the non-ideal support forceor pressure distribution, i.e., some parts of the body are adequatelysupported while others are not so supported, the body itself must behaveas a beam by providing a bridging action from one support point toanother thereby decreasing the comfort of the furniture.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a supportsystem for furniture such as beds and chairs which will readily adapt tothe contour of different bodies supported thereby.

Another object is to provide a support system which will readily conformto changes in contour of a body being supported by reason of the bodyshifting position.

A further object is to provide a support system for furniture by whichbodies thereon are supported by a smooth and predetermined distributionof support forces which does not vary even when the body contourchanges.

A still further object is to provide a support system for furniturewhich provides a support force distribution matched to the weightdistribution of the supported body.

Another object is to provide a support system for furniture whichpermits the selection of any one of a plurality of desired support forcedistributions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foregoing objects and others are achievedin accordance with the principles of this invention by a sup port systemwhich has a plurality of force means whose spacings, individual supportforce magnitudes with respect to each other, or both may bepredetermined to provide a desired support force distribution. Forexample, the support force distribution might match the weightdistribution of the supported body. A plurality of the force means areinterconnected by a common force transmitting means and thus some of theforce means may readily change their positions relative to the otherforce means by a movement of the force transmitting means therebetweento accommodate a change in the contour of the body being supported. Thenormally desired equilibrium positions, at which positions the supportedbody is not required to provide bridging action, are reached when thesupport system has adjusted to the contour of the supported body and thesupport force distribution is the same as the weight distribution of thesupported body. At these equilibrium positions there are no internalbending moments in the supported body as the net load at each pointalong the body is zero. At these positions the total of the individualsupport forces equals the weight of the supported body; and momentequilibrium of the support force and weight distributions is alsoassured. Other support force distributions, not necessarilycorresponding to the weight distribution, may be desired in somesituations. In such situations, the body must provide bridging action.However, many support force distributions may be selected such thatmoment equilibrium as well as total force equilibrium is assured.

More specifically, in one embodiment of the invention, the supportsystem comprises a cushion, support pad, and a suspension system for thepad including a pulley and cord arrangement. The body to be supportedrests on the cushion which rests on the support pad mounted in a frame.The pad is stiff in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis ofthe body and has torsional rigidity about this axis but is relativelyflexible in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Sets of low frictionpulleys are mounted along each side of both the pad and the frame atsupport points spaced to provide a support force distributioncorresponding to the weight distribution of the supported body. Thepulleys on each side are interconnected by a continuous forcetransmitting means, which may be a simple flexible cord. The pulleys andcord thus provide equal support forces at each support point. Changes inthe contour of the supported body are accommodated by a shifting orredistribution of the interconnecting cord between pulleys and aconsequent deformation of the pad relative to the frame until one of thepreviously mentioned normally desired equilibrium positions is reached.The particular spacing of the support points, the support point forces,and the mounting of the pulleys are such that the body is supported by adistribution of support forces which does not vary as the body contourvaries.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the sup port system comprises afluid filled support system. Sets of flexible bellows or fluid cylindersare placed at appropriately spaced points along the pad. The bellows areinterconnected by a fluid transmitting means such as a simple tube. Thetube and bellows or cylinders contain an appropriate fluid underpressure which is induced by the supported body. Because the spacing andcross sectional areas of the bellows may be freely chosen, thedistribution of support force in this embodiment can also bepredetermined to a desired distribution. Changes in the contour of thesupported body are accommodated by a redistribution of fluid among thebellows and a consequent deflection of the bellows until the equilibriumposition is reached with the force distribution unchanged.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematicrepresentation along direction 22 of FIG. 1 showing the suspensionsystem of the lounge chair in greater detail including auxiliarysupports which function when the displacement of the support pad exceedsa predetermined amount.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic representation along direction 3-3 ofFIG. 1 showing how the suspension system for the back rest portionadvantageously is mounted to the chair frame.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a bracket assembly to keep thepad on the back rest portion of the chair from sagging.

FIG. 5 illustrates a configuration for a cushion which can be usedadvantageously in the support system.

FIG. 6 is a schematic of a latch and spring assembly for locking theback rest portion in a desired position and for aiding in moving theback rest portion from reclining to sitting position.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation in perspective of the bottom of thechair of FIG. 1 showing in particular a stabilizer assembly.

FIG. 8 A, B, C, is a schematic representation of the operation of thestabilizer assembly of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of thesupport system of my invention utilizing pulleys and cords and rigid rodlinks.

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of still another embodiment of theinvention utilizing fluid support means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a schematic representation inperspective, partly broken away, of a lounge chair 101 which utilizes apulley and cord embodiment of my invention in its support system. Thechair 101 comprises a seat and leg portion 2 and a back rest portion 4pivotably mounted at 6 to the rear edge of the seat and leg portion 2.Back rest portion 4 is shown in a partially reclined position but may beplaced in any position from substantially upright to fully reclined.

A body resting on the chair 101 is supported by a pad 8 over which acushion 10 made of some material such as foam rubber may be placed. Forreasons which will subsequently become more apparent, the pad 8 shouldbe very flexible along the longitudinal direction of the body beingsupported and should normally be relatively stiff in a directiontransverse to the longitudinal axis of the supported body. The pad 8should also have substantial torsional rigidity about the longitudinalaxis. FIG. 2 illustrates more clearly how these characteristics areobtained. The pad 8 comprises two sheets 12 of flexible material such aspolyethylene between which relatively stiff slats 14 such as woodenstrips are sandwiched. The sandwich construction gives torsionalrigidity and the orientation of slats 14 transverse to the longitudinalaxis provides transverse stiffness but the pad 8 remains quite flexiblein the longitudinal direction, i.e., along the longitudinal direction ofthe body being supported.

Under some circumstances, it might be desirable for the pad 8 to havesome flexibility transverse to the supported body. For example, if thechair 101 is to be left in the rigidized or stabilized position, to besubsequently described, for extended periods, some transverseflexibility would be desirable. Further, if significant changes in thetransverse contour of the supported body are anticipated, sometransverse flexibility is desirable. Such transverse flexibility can beattained by adapting slats 14 to be flexible in their longitudinaldirection.

The support pad 8 is suspended from the chair frame 16 in a manner nowto be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a plurality of low frictionpulleys 20 are arranged in pairs and mounted at appropriately spacedpoints along the inside surfaces of each of the side portions 18 of thechair frame 16. A low friction pulley 22 is also mounted at each end ofa' number of correspondingly spaced slats 14. A continuous, flexiblecord 24 interconnects the pulleys 20 and 22. Cord 24 may be any materialsuch as nylon or wire which has sufficient strength, flexibility andwear properties. The use of a stretchable material such as rubber incord 24 may be advantageous in certain situations to improvethefunctioning of the support system. Such a compliant material might beespecially desirable in the rigidized or stabilized position and inconjunction with the auxiliary supports, both previously mentioned andto be subsequently described. Stretchability can also be introduced byinserting an element such as a spring in series with cord 24.

The interconnecting cord 24 is cut to a predetermined lengthand afterthe pulleys 20 and 22 have been interconnected therewith, the ends ofthe cord 24 are anchored at points 26 and 28. In a lounge chair asherein described wherein the back rest portion 4 can assume variouspositions between upright and fully reclined, it is desirable that thesupport system for the back rest portion 4 be independent of the supportsystem for the seat and leg portion 2. Thus in FIG. 1 and 3 a separateinterconnecting cord 30 for the back portion 4 is shown anchored atpoints 32 and 34. In an application of the invention to a bed mattresssupport system wherein all portions of the mattress remain substantiallyhorizontal and planar at all times, cords 24 and 30 could be joined andanchors 28 and 32 could be eliminated.

It is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the pairs of pulleys 20 arevariably spaced along the sides 18 of the frame. The spacing ideally isinversely proportional to the incremental density of the supported body.Thus the pulleys 20 in the leg and feed supporting area are spacedfurther apart than are the pulleys 20 in the hips supporting area wherea greater concentration of weight is normally expected. For example, ifthe density of the body is such that legs and hips create loads of 1pound and 2 pounds per unit length along the pad, respectively, then thespacings of the pulleys would be 2 units and 1 unit, respectively, inthe leg and hip support areas, respectively. Slats 14 in pad 8 arespaced to correspond to the spacing of the pulleys 20. Thus, in somesections of pad 8, such as the feet supporting area where normally thereis very little weight, the slats 14 are widely spaced. The pad 8 mayhave a tendency to sag in these sections because of its flexibility inthe longitudinal direction. Sagging can be prevented by insertingauxiliary slats 36, to which no pulleys are attached, in these widespaces and bridging across the spaces as shown in FIG. 1 with stiffeners38 which may be thin metal straps. One of the more important contourchanges which can be accommodated is the flexing of the legs at theknees. To help accommodate this particular contour change it may beadvantageous to locate one support point at the knees.

Since the cords 24 and 30 are continuous within their respective supportareas, and the pulleys 20 and 22 have low friction, it follows that thetension at each point in a particular one of the cords is essentiallythe same as the tension at every other point within that cord. Alsobecause of the close spacing of the pairs of pulleys 20 at a particularsupport point, the support force distribution is virtually unaffected byvertical translations of the pulleys 22 relative to the pulleys 20 asthe vertical cord segments remain vertical at all times. Thus followingany change in the contour of the supported body, the support system willquickly adjust to a new equilibrium position without changing thesupport force distribution. This is accomplished by vertical movementsof pulleys 22 with respect to pulleys 20 and a redistribution of theinterconnecting cords 24 and 30 between pulleys. For example, if thelegs of the supported body are flexed, the tension in the support cordsegments in the foot region would momentarily be greater than thetensions in the cord segments in the hips support section. Thus the footsupport section would displace by vertical translation of pulleys 22with respect to pulleys 20 thereby drawing additional amounts of cordfrom the hips support section until a new equilibrium position wasreached. The tension in the cord after equilibrium has been achievedwill be the same as before the change in body contour and the sup portforce distribution likewise is undisturbed even though the contour ofthe body has changed.

Because only a finite number of pulleys may be used, there is a need forsome smoothing of the discrete forces provided at the support points.Cushion 10 provides this smoothing through the use of a compliantmaterial therein.

As the number of pulleys and 22 is increased, thus increasing the numberof vertical cord segments 23, the tension required in theinterconnecting cords 24 and to support a particular body decreases. Therelative spacings between pulleys are maintained so that the supportforce distribution continues to match the body weight distribution. Thusthe function of the cushion 10 becomes less important for smoothing thepressure distribution along the body. The cushion remains important forsmoothing the support pressure in the direction transverse to the bodyhowever.

In some sections of the suspension system, the addition of largeconcentrations of weight would upset the ideal condition of having thesupport force distribution match the body weight distribution. Forexample, when the back rest portion 4 is elevated to a near uprightposition, there would be a large weight concentration in the hipssupport section. This would tend to cause this section to displaceexcessively and the body would then act as a bridge or beam in the hipregion since the support in this region would be insufficient. In such acase auxiliary supports 40, as shown in FIG. 2 enclosed in the dottedline, can be utilized to provide additional support for the hips region.These auxiliary supports 40 comprise rigid bars 42 slidably mounted in abracket 44 on frame side portion 18. The bottom end of bar 42 isfastened to an auxiliary support slat 46 and on the top end is mounted alow friction pulley 48, similar to pulleys 22, which normally does notcontact cord 24. As the hips support section is displaced downwardbecause of the increased weight concentration, the bar 42 is pulleddownward. When the displacement exceeds a predetermined amount, thepulley 48 engages cord 24 and establishes a new support point whichsupplies a support force for the increased weight. This prevents furtherdisplacement of the hips support section. The hips support area of thechair will normally be the only section requiring auxiliary supports andsuch supports will only come into operation when the chair is raised toan upright position thereby concentrating the supported weight in thehips support area. If cord 24 is stretchable, the increased weightsupported in the seat and leg portion 2 when the back rest portion 4 iselevated will lower the entire body. Therefore the auxiliary supports 40can be brought into play without the hips having to be substantiallylower than the legs.

In applications of the support system to a lounge chair 101 wherein theposition of the back rest portion 4'may be varied, it is desirable tohave the support system for the back rest portion mounted on a movablebar or rail assembly 50 as shown more clearly in FIG. 3. This applieswhether the support system for the back rest portion 4 is completelyindependent of the support system for the seat and leg portion 2 orwhether the two sections form a continuous support system.

The horizontal mid-plane of support pad 8, i.e., the mid-plane withrespect to the thickness of pad 8, does not pass through the pivot axis6. Thus when the back frame portion 52 of chair 101 is raised from ahorizontal position, the back support portion 53 of pad 8 will tend tobe pulled toward pivot 6. This will tend to displace pulleys 22 mountedto the back support portion 53 such that the cord segments 58 joiningpulleys 22 and 20 will not remain perpendicular to the back frame 52.The cord segments, when not perpendicular, introduce stretching forcesinto back support portion 53 making it less comfortable and flexible.This problem can be alleviated by mounting the pulleys 20 for the backrest portion 4 on a rail 54 which is rollably mounted to the back frame52 on rollers 56 as shown in FIG. 3. As the back frame portion 52 israised the rail 54 moves along frame portion 52 carrying the pulleys 20mounted thereon. Thus these pulleys 20 move as pulleys 22 move. Thismotion of the support rail 54 insures that the support cord segments 58for the back rest portion 4 remain substantially perpendicular tosupport pad 8 and the desired support force distribution is maintained.

In some situations it may be desirable to have little or no supportforce on a particular portion of the supported body. For example, if aparticular portion of the body were injured, it might be desirable toeliminate all forces on the injured portion. This result can be achievedby at least two methods. First, the support cord 24 or 30 may be removedfrom the pulley 22 on the slat 14 immediately under this portion of thebody thereby removing the support force at this point. The supportedbody must then bridge across this gap between the next adjacent supportpoints thru its internal body structure. Secondly, counterweights 60,shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, can be used to counterbalance the support forcesordinarily applied to the supported body at the support points. Thecounterweights 60 balance the tension in the cords 24 and 30 therebyresulting in a low net support force being applied to the supported bodyat the point of interest. The counter weights 60 are attached to theslat 14, preferably along y the axis of symmetry of the pad 8, at thepoints where it is desired to reduce the support force.

Counterweights 60 may also be added in certain portions of the chair 101such as the foot support area and head support area so that the netsupport force distribution can be made to match the body weightdistribution with a relatively lower number of support points. If a lownumber of support points is used for the entire pad 8, the tensions incords 24 and 30 will be greater. This will tend to cause discomfort inthe foot support and head support areas because of the relatively highsupport forces. However, counterweights 60 used in these areas alleviateany discomfort by reducing the net support forces applied to the feetand head.

When counterweights 60 are used in the head support area of the chair,the counterweights 60 may tend to cause the cushion l and back supportsection 53 of support pad 8 to sag when the chair back is in the uprightposition. This sagging, primarily from the weight of pad 8 andcounterweights 60, is in addition to the movement which causes thestretching forces previously discussed. This sagging can be prevented bya small bracket arrangement shown in FIG. 4. A rod or bar 62 has one endfixedly attached to rail 54 substantially perpendicular thereto and theother end is slidably engaged in a bracket 64 mounted on pad 8 on oneedge of a widened slat 15. This arrangement constrains the movement ofthe support pad 8 to be substantially perpendicular to the back frameportion 52 thereby eliminating the problem of sagging. This bracketarrangement may be desirable even when no counterweights are used inorder to prevent any sagging from the weight of the pad and supportsystem itself.

Because of the acute profile change encountered between the head andshoulders of a body, it is desirable to design the cushion 10 to helpreduce the variations in deflections of the support pad 8 required inthis portion of a chair or mattress as the body turns. As shown in FIG.5, this can be accomplished in part by making the head rest portion 66of cushion l0 somewhat thicker than the body rest portion 67 of thecushion l0 and connecting the two portions by a relatively thin shortflexible section 65. The nominal position of the mid-plane 69 of thehead rest portion 66 is higher than the mid-plane 71 of the body restportion 67 of cushion 10 to most satisfactorily accommodate the variouspossible contours of the body. The thicker head portion 66 allows thehead to be supported, regardless of the position of the body, with theappropriate force corresponding to the weight of the head without theneck being strained or the head being out of its normal position alongthe longitudinal axis of the body. in some situations it may beadvantageous to have materials of different compliance in the head rest66 and body rest portion 67 of cushion 10. It also may be advantageousto fasten cushion 10 to pad 8 so that they act as a single unit.

The lounge chair 101 has a latch and spring assembly 68, shown morefully in FIG. 6, for locking the back rest portion 4 in any positionbetween the vertical and horizontal and for automatically raising theback rest portion 4 toward the vertical position when the body is raisedfrom the back rest portion 4. The assembly 68 comprises a handle 70having affixed thereto a metal block 72 having good wear resistantproperties. Block 72 has a hole 74 therethrough. Block 72 could also beformed as a sandwich construction of independent thin slices of materialhaving aligned holes therethrough. A rod 76 having a size only slightlysmaller than the size of hole 74 is slidably mounted in hole 74 and hasone end thereof engaged in a bracket 78 on back frame portion 52 suchthat rod 76 may apply a force to frame 52 causing it to tend to rotateabout pivot 6. The other end of rod 76 engages one end of a spring 80having the other end mounted to side frame 18 toward the front thereof.Handle 70 and block 72 float freely on rod 76. Spring 80 is biased sothat it exerts a continuous and substantial force on rod 76 tending tocause back frame 52 to rotate to the fully upright position. Handle 70and block 72 are contacted by a spring 82 which is mounted to a stop 83on the side of handle 70 adjacent spring 80. Another stop 84 is rigidlymounted to side frame 18 on the opposite side of handle 70. Stop 84 andspring 82 tend to rotate handle 70 and block 72 forwardly in such amanner as to cause the edges of hole 74 nearest spring 80 to bite intorod 76 when rod 76 tries to move rearwardly such that rod 76 is lockedin any desired position and prevented from further rearward motion. Rod76 can be moved rearwardly, thus causing back rest portion 4 to recline,by manually rotating handle 70 rearwardly to counteract spring 82 andsimultaneously applying a slight force to back rest portion 4. The rearedges of hole 74 do not bite into rod 76. Thus when all force is removedfrom back rest portion 4, spring 80 can pull rod 76 forwardly, since itis not locked against forward motion, thereby raising back portion 4.Stop 83 prevents handle 70 from being rotated too far rearwardly whichwould cause rod 76 to bind.

Although separate spring assemblies 68 are shown on each side of thechair, a single assembly could be utilized. Further, such modificationsas utilizing only one handle 70 to control the spring assemblies 68 onboth sides could be made. Other latch and spring mechanisms which willbe apparent to those skilled in the art can be utilized.

Because of the floating action achieved by he support system supplyingforces that are independent of body contour changes, it is desirable totemporarily stabilize or rigidize the support system when getting on oroff a chair or bed mattress supported by the suspension system of thisinvention. FIG. 7 discloses one method of so stabilizing the supportsystem.

Two stabilizer boards or panels 86 are rotatably mounted, about axesparallel to the longitudinal axis of the chair or mattress, on theunderside of frame 16.

Transversely interposed between, and slightly beneath stabilizer panels86, and rotatably mounted about an axis perpendicular to the axis ofrotation of panels 86, is an actuating panel 88. Actuating board orpanel 88 is fastened along one edge 90 to a rod 96, rotatably mounted inframe 16, which is connected on one end to an actuating handle 98. Alongthe opposite edge 94, the ends 92 of panel 88 are rounded and haveincreased thickness. The edges of panels 86 opposite their axes ofrotation are also rounded. When the chair or mattress is being used,handle 98 is placed in a position such that panel 88 lies flatunderneath the frame 16, i.e., handle 98 is rotated to its forwardposition, and consequently panels 86 also lie flat and do not contactsupport pad 8. Thus the support system can operate as previouslydescribed to accommodate changes in the supported body.

As illustrated in FIG. 8 A, B, C, when handle 98 is rotated rearwardly,actuating panel 88 is caused to rotate also. The rounded ends 92 ofpanel 88 contact stabilizer panels 86 forcing them to rotate from theirprevious flat position to an upstanding position and consequentlycontact support pad 8 along a substantial length of the underside edgesthereof. Because of the transverse stiffness of support pad 8, it issubsequently prevented from further movement but is in essence bottomedon stabilizer panels 86. Thus movement onto or off the chair or mattressis facilitated. A layer of low friction, wear-resistant material mayadvantageously be placed on the rounded ends 92 of board 88 and on thoseportions of panels 86 which are contacted by ends 92. Such a layer 104is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The suspension system also can be stabilized to facilitate movement ontoor off a chair or mattress by locking or holding support cords 24 and 30in a particular position.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to areclining lounge chair utilizing pulley and cord apparatus, it should beclearly understood that various modifications to the disclosedembodiment can be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the invention is clearlyapplicable to a chair or mattress design wherein the support pad 8 andcushion 10 are not suspended between the sides of a frame but aresupported above the frame 16. A plurality of pairs of pulleys aremounted on the frame 16 and interconnected by a cord 24. A plurality ofrigid links 106 are slidably mounted on frame 16 in brackets 108. Oneend of each link 106 is pivotably connected to a slat 14 in pad 8 atpivot 110 and the other end of the link contains a pulley 112 whichengages cord 24. In this embodiment it would be.

possible to use a single row of pulleys 20 and supporting links 106 downthe center of the pad 8.

Non-rotating wire guides having a moderately low friction surface can besubstituted for the pulleys with some departure from ideal behavior.Some friction in the pulleys or cord guides can be tolerated withoutseriously degrading the performance of the support system as previouslydescribed. Two effects are provided by friction which might bebeneficial under certain circumstances. These effects are the provisionof more traction for the body for shifting positions and the allowanceof slight variations from the preselected support force distribution bysmall movements of the body. The pivots shown in FIG. 9 and 10 alsocould be replaced by connections having only limited rotationalcapability without serious departure from ideal behavior. Variouspulleys such as the pairs of pulleys 20 might be combined on a singleshaft.

Pulleys 20 can be mounted in such a manner as to permit adjustment inmounting position on frame 16. For example, a continuous row of mountingapparatus having a plurality of closely spaced mounting ports forpulleys 20 can be placed along the sides of frame 16. Alternatively,pulleys 20 can be mounted in pairs on brackets that are slidablyconnected to a rail mounted on frame 16. Pulleys 20 can then be moved inposition along frame 16. Corresponding adjustments in position of slats14 in support pad 8 might also be provided by providing a plurality ofclosely spaced compartments for slats 14 in pad 8 such that pulleys 22may correspondingly be moved in position by moving slats 14 from onecompartment to another. This adjustable mounting will permit tailoringof the support system for particular persons utilizing the furniture.More convenient methods of adjusting the mounting positions of pulleys20 and 22 will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

As previously mentioned a fluid or hydraulic system can be utilized inplace of the pulley and cord apparatus. One such system is illustratedin FIG. 10. Here a plurality of hydraulic cylinders 114 areinterconnected by a continuous tube 1 16 containing a nearlyincompressible fluid. The cylinders 114 can all have the same crosssectional area so that each exerts the same force or the support forcescan be varied by varying the cross-sectional area. In the former casethe spacings between cylinders are varied while in the latter case theforces are varied to achieve the desired support force distribution.Each cylinder 114 contains a piston 118 having a shaft 120, one end ofwhich is rotatably connected to a slat 14 in support pad 8. Eachcylinder 114 contains the same pressure, and thus the fluid willredistribute and the pistons will displace to accommodate any change inthe contour of the supported body without changes in the support forcedistribution. The cylinder and piston arrangement can readily bereplaced by a series of flexible bellows.

In some situations it might be desirable to have only part of an articleof furniture supported by a support system as herein described. Forexample, airplane and bus seats might advantageously utilize the supportsystem for only the back rest portion thereof while retaining thepresently used designs for the hips support portion. This would providea seat which would conform to the upper part of the body and greatlyfacilitate sleeping therein but which would not be too bulky-to preventits usage. Apparatus associated with the stabilizer would not requiredin such a seat. Such a seat could be designed readily because of thepreviously described independent support systems for the back restportion and seat and legs portion of the described lounge chair.

Although the cushion 10 and support pad 8 were described as distinctitems in the illustrative embodiment, these items could be made as asingle unit.

Various other modifications can be made by those skilled in the art andwithout departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture for supporting a body resting thereon with apreselected support force distribution and conforming automatically tovarious contours of said body without changing said preselected supportforce distribution comprising, in combination:

a frame;

a support pad upon which said body rests, said pad having flexibility inthe direction of the longitudinal axis of said body;

a first set of low friction pulleys mounted along said frame at spacedmounting points; and

a second set of low friction pulleys mounted at spaced support pointsalong said pad corresponding to said mounting points and providingsupport forces to said pad, said pulleys having spacings therebetweenrelated to said preselected support force distribution; and

flexible cord means interconnecting said first and second sets ofpulleys and suspending said pad from said frame so that by aredistribution of said cord means among said first and second sets ofpulleys said pad can conform to changes in said contour by movement ofsaid pad relative to said frame, said cord means having substantiallyconstant tension therein independent of said movement so that saidsupport forces remain constant thereby to maintain said preselectedsupport force distribution.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pad comprises firstand second sections, said first section supporting a first portion ofsaid body including the trunk and head thereof, said second sectionsupporting a second portion of said body including the hips and legsthereof;

said first and second sets of pulleys each comprises first and secondgroups of pulleys associated with said first and second sections,respectively; and

said flexible cord means comprises separate flexible cordsinterconnecting said first and second groups of pulleys, respectively,and connectingsaid first and second sections, respectively, to saidframe so that said first and second sections function substantiallyindependently of each other.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including auxiliary supportmeans mounted to said pad between preselected ones of said supportpoints for providing additional support forces when said movement ofsaid pad at said preselected support points exceeds a predeterminedmagnitude, said auxiliary support means including a low friction pulleyadapted to contact said flexible cord means when said movement equalssaid predetermined magnitude.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first set ofpulleys is mounted on sides of said frame extending in the samedirection as said longitudinal axis;

said second set of pulleys is mounted along edges of said pad which liein the same direction as said longitudinal axis; and

said flexible cord means includes separate cords interconnecting saidfirst and second sets of pulleys along said respective edges and sides.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pad includes aplurality of support slats oriented substantially transverse to saidlongitudinal axis and having spacings therebetween substantially thesame as said spacings between said support points, said second set ofpulleys being mounted to the ends of said support slats; and

bridging means oriented transverse to said support slats and connectingadjacent ones thereof when said spacing therebetween exceeds apredetermined amount so that said pad is prevented from sagging betweensaid adjacent support slats.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including weights affixed tosaid pad at preselected ones of said support points, said weightsopposing said support forces provided by said pulleys at said supportpoints so that said support forces provided to said pad at saidpreselected support points can be varied by varying said weights.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including stabilizer means forlimiting said movement of said pad with respect to said frame forfacilitating movements of said body such as required for mounting anddismounting said article of furniture.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including:

first mounting means for mounting said first set of pulleys to saidframe so that said mounting points can be varied in correspondence withvariations in said support points; and

second mounting means for mounting said second set of low frictionpulleys to said pad so that said spacings between said support pointscan be varied whereby said support force distribution can be adjustedfor said body being supported.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said support padincludes a cushion having first and second portions joined by arelatively flexible portion, said first portion supporting the head ofsaid body and said second portion supporting the remainder of said body,said flexible portion accommodating changes in said contour between saidhead and said remainder of said body.

10. An article of furniture having a frame with sides and a supportsystem mounted to said frame for supporting a body resting thereonincluding a support pad upon which said body rests having flexibility inthe direction of the longitudinal axis of said body, said pad havinglongitudinal edges opposing said sides of said frame, characterized inthat said support system inciudes:

a first series of low friction pulleys mounted at spaced mounting pointsalong said sides of said frame;

a second series of low friction pulleys mounted at spaced support pointsalong said longitudinal edges corresponding to said mounting points andproviding support forces to said pad; and

flexible cords interconnecting said first and second series of pulleysalong respective ones of said edges and said sides and suspending saidpad within said frame so that by a redistribution of said cords amongsaid first and second series of pulleys said pad can move relative tosaid frame to conform to changes in contour of said body, respectiveones of said flexible cords maintaining substantially constant tensiontherein so that said support forces provided to said pad by said secondseries of pulleys remain constant regardless of said changes in contour.

11. A support apparatus for supporting a body resting thereon with apreselected support force distribution ad conforming automatically tovarious contours of said body without changing said preselected supportforce distribution, comprising, in combination:

a frame;

a support pad upon which said body rests, said pad having flexibility inthe direction of the longitudinal axis of said body;

a set of support means connected to said support pad at support pointstherealong having spacings therebetween related to said preselectedsupport force distribution, said set of support means comprises aplurality of second low friction pulleys mounted to said support pad;

a plurality of first low friction pulleys mounted to.

said frame at spaced points corresponding to said support points; and

a force transmitting means comprising a flexible cord meansinterconnecting said pluralities of first and second low frictionpulleys and suspending said support pad from said frame so that by aredistribution of said cord means among said pluralities of first andsecond pulleys said pad can move relative to said frame and therebyconform to changes in said contour; said cord means having substantiallyconstant tension therein independent of movements of said pad so thatsaid plurality of second pulleys provide constant support forces to saidsupport pad.

12. A support apparatus for supporting a body resting thereon with apreselected support force distribution and conforming automatically tovarious contours of said body without changing said preselected supportforce distribution, comprising, in combination;

a frame;

a support pad upon which said body rests, said pad having flexibility inthe direction of the longitudinal axis of said body;

a set of support means connected to said support pad at support pointstherealong having spacings therebetween related to said preselectedsupport force distribution, said support means comprises a plurality offluid force means mounted to said support pad; and

a force transmitting means comprising a closed,

fluid-filled system mounted on said frame and interconnecting saidplurality of fluid force means, said system being adapted to permitmovement of said fluid among said fluid force means so that said fluidforce means can deflect to to permit movement of said support padrelative to said frame to conform thereby to changes in said contour;said fluid having a substantially constant pressure therein independentof said pad movements so that said plurality of fluid force meansprovides constant support forces to said support pad.

13. A support apparatus for supporting a body resting thereon with apreselected support force distribution and conforming automatically tovarious contours of said body without changing said preselected supportforce distribution, comprising, in combination,

a frame;

a support pad upon which said body rests, said pad having flexibility inthe direction of the longitudinal axis of said body;

a set of support means connected to said support pad at support pintstherealong having spacings therebetween related to said preselectedsupport force distribution, said set of support means comprises aplurality of rigid rods each pivotably mounted on one end thereof tosaid support pad and having one of a plurality off second low frictionpulleys on the other end thereof;

a plurality of first low friction pulleys mounted to said frame atspaced points corresponding to said support points; and

a force transmitting means comprising flexible cord meansinterconnecting said pluralities of first and second low frictionpulleys and supporting said support pad from said frame so that by aredistribution of said cord means among said pluralities of first andsecond pulleys said pad can move relative to said frame and herebyconform to changes in said contour; said cord means having substantiallyconstant tension therein independent of said movements of said pad sothat said plurality of rods provides a constant support force to saidsupport pad.

14. A support apparatus for supporting a body resting thereon with apreselected support force distribution and conforming automatically tovarious contours of said body without changing said preselected supportforce distribution, comprising, in combination:

a frame;

a support pad upon which said body rests, said pad having flexibility inthe direction of the longitudinal axis of said body;

a set of support means connected to said support pad at support pointstherealong having spacings therebetween related to said preselectedsupport force distribution, said set of support means comprises aplurality of second low friction cord guides mounted to said supportpad; v

a plurality of first low friction cord guides mounted to said frame atspaced points corresponding to said support points; and

a force transmitting means comprising a flexible cord meansinterconnecting said pluralities of first and second low friction cordguides andsuspending said support pad from said frame so that by aredistribution of said cord means among said pluralities of first andsecond cord guides said pad can move relative to said frame and therebyconform to changes in said contour; said cord means having substantiallyconstant tension therein independent of movements of said pad so thatsaid plurality of second cord guides provide constant support forces tosaid support pad.

1. An article of furniture for supporting a body resting thereon with apreselected support force distribution and conforming automatically tovarious contours of said body without changing said preselected supportforce distribution comprising, in combination: a frame; a support padupon which said body rests, said pad having flexibility in the directionof the longitudinal axis of said body; a first set of low frictionpulleys mounted along said frame at spaced mounting points; and a secondset of low friction pulleys mounted at spaced support points along saidpad corresponding to said mounting points and providing support forcesto said pad, said pulleys having spacings therebetween related to saidpreselected support force distribution; and flexible cord meansinterconnecting said first and second sets of pulleys and suspendingsaid pad from said frame so that by a redistribution of said cord meansamong said first and second sets of pulleys said pad can conform tochanges in said contour by movement of said pad relative to said frame,said cord means having substantially constant tension thereinindependent of said movement so that said support forces remain constantthereby to maintain said preselected support force distribution.
 1. Anarticle of furniture for supporting a body resting thereon with apreselected support force distribution and conforming automatically tovarious contours of said body without changing said preselected supportforce distribution comprising, in combination: a frame; a support padupon which said body rests, said pad having flexibility in the directionof the longitudinal axis of said body; a first set of low frictionpulleys mounted along said frame at spaced mounting points; and a secondset of low friction pulleys mounted at spaced support points along saidpad corresponding to said mounting points and providing support forcesto said pad, said pulleys having spacings therebetween related to saidpreselected support force distribution; and flexible cord meansinterconnecting said first and second sets of pulleys and suspendingsaid pad from said frame so that by a redistribution of said cord meansamong said first and second sets of pulleys said pad can conform tochanges in said contour by movement of said pad relative to said frame,said cord means having substantially constant tension thereinindependent of said movement so that said support forces remain constantthereby to maintain said preselected support force distribution. 2.Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pad comprises firstand second sections, said first section supporting a first portion ofsaid body including the trunk and head thereof, said second sectionsupporting a second portion of said body including the hips and legsthereof; said first and second sets of pulleys each comprises first andsecond groups of pulleys associated with said first and second sections,respectively; and said flexible cord means comprises separate flexiblecords interconnecting said first and second groups of pulleys,respectively, and connecting said first and second sections,respectively, to said frame so that said first and second sectionsfunction substantially independently of each other.
 3. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 1 including auxiliary support means mounted tosaid pad between preselected ones of said support points for providingadditional support forces when said movement of said pad at saidpreselected support points exceeds a predetermined magnitude, saidauxiliary support means including a low friction pulley adapted tocontact said flexible cord means when said movement equals saidpredetermined magnitude.
 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 whereinsaid first set of pulleys is mounted on sides of said frame extending inthe same direction as said longitudinal axis; said second set of pulleysis mounted along edges of said pad which lie in the same direction assaid longitudinal axis; and said flexible cord means includes separatecords interconnecting said first and second sets of pulleys along saidrespective edges and sides.
 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1wherein said pad includes a plurality of support slats orientedsubstantially transverse to said longitudinal axis and having spacingstherebetween substantially the same as said spacings between saidsupport points, said second set of pulleys being mounted to the ends ofsaid support slats; and bridging means oriented transverse to saidsupport slats and connecting adjacent ones thereof when said spacingtherebetween exceeds a predetermined amount so that said pad isprevented from sagging between said adjacent support slats.
 6. Apparatusin accordance with claim 1 including weights affixed to said pad atpreselected ones of said support points, said weights opposing saidsupport forces provided by said pulleys at said support points so thatsaid support forces provided to said pad at said preselected supportpoints can be varied by varying said weights.
 7. Apparatus in accordancewith claim 1 including stabilizer means for limiting said movement ofsaid pad with respect to said frame for facilitating movements of saidbody such as required for mounting and dismounting said article offurniture.
 8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including: firstmounting means for mounting said first set of pulleys to said frame sothat said mounting points can be varied in correspondence withvariations in said support points; and second mounting means formounting said second set of low friction pulleys to said pad so thatsaid spacings between said support points can be varied whereby saidsupport force distribution can be adjusted for said body beingsupported.
 9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said supportpad includes a cushion having first and second portions joined by arelatively flexible portion, said first portion supporting the head ofsaid body and said second portion supporting the remainder of said boDy,said flexible portion accommodating changes in said contour between saidhead and said remainder of said body.
 10. An article of furniture havinga frame with sides and a support system mounted to said frame forsupporting a body resting thereon including a support pad upon whichsaid body rests having flexibility in the direction of the longitudinalaxis of said body, said pad having longitudinal edges opposing saidsides of said frame, characterized in that said support system includes:a first series of low friction pulleys mounted at spaced mounting pointsalong said sides of said frame; a second series of low friction pulleysmounted at spaced support points along said longitudinal edgescorresponding to said mounting points and providing support forces tosaid pad; and flexible cords interconnecting said first and secondseries of pulleys along respective ones of said edges and said sides andsuspending said pad within said frame so that by a redistribution ofsaid cords among said first and second series of pulleys said pad canmove relative to said frame to conform to changes in contour of saidbody, respective ones of said flexible cords maintaining substantiallyconstant tension therein so that said support forces provided to saidpad by said second series of pulleys remain constant regardless of saidchanges in contour.
 11. A support apparatus for supporting a bodyresting thereon with a preselected support force distribution adconforming automatically to various contours of said body withoutchanging said preselected support force distribution, comprising, incombination: a frame; a support pad upon which said body rests, said padhaving flexibility in the direction of the longitudinal axis of saidbody; a set of support means connected to said support pad at supportpoints therealong having spacings therebetween related to saidpreselected support force distribution, said set of support meanscomprises a plurality of second low friction pulleys mounted to saidsupport pad; a plurality of first low friction pulleys mounted to saidframe at spaced points corresponding to said support points; and a forcetransmitting means comprising a flexible cord means interconnecting saidpluralities of first and second low friction pulleys and suspending saidsupport pad from said frame so that by a redistribution of said cordmeans among said pluralities of first and second pulleys said pad canmove relative to said frame and thereby conform to changes in saidcontour; said cord means having substantially constant tension thereinindependent of movements of said pad so that said plurality of secondpulleys provide constant support forces to said support pad.
 12. Asupport apparatus for supporting a body resting thereon with apreselected support force distribution and conforming automatically tovarious contours of said body without changing said preselected supportforce distribution, comprising, in combination; a frame; a support padupon which said body rests, said pad having flexibility in the directionof the longitudinal axis of said body; a set of support means connectedto said support pad at support points therealong having spacingstherebetween related to said preselected support force distribution,said support means comprises a plurality of fluid force means mounted tosaid support pad; and a force transmitting means comprising a closed,fluid-filled system mounted on said frame and interconnecting saidplurality of fluid force means, said system being adapted to permitmovement of said fluid among said fluid force means so that said fluidforce means can deflect to to permit movement of said support padrelative to said frame to conform thereby to changes in said contour;said fluid having a substantially constant pressure therein independentof said pad movements so that said plurality of fluid force meansprovides constant support forces to said support pad.
 13. A supportapparatus for supporting a body resting thereon with a preselectedsupport force distribution and conforming automatically to variouscontours of said body without changing said preselected support forcedistribution, comprising, in combination, a frame; a support pad uponwhich said body rests, said pad having flexibility in the direction ofthe longitudinal axis of said body; a set of support means connected tosaid support pad at support pints therealong having spacingstherebetween related to said preselected support force distribution,said set of support means comprises a plurality of rigid rods eachpivotably mounted on one end thereof to said support pad and having oneof a plurality off second low friction pulleys on the other end thereof;a plurality of first low friction pulleys mounted to said frame atspaced points corresponding to said support points; and a forcetransmitting means comprising flexible cord means interconnecting saidpluralities of first and second low friction pulleys and supporting saidsupport pad from said frame so that by a redistribution of said cordmeans among said pluralities of first and second pulleys said pad canmove relative to said frame and hereby conform to changes in saidcontour; said cord means having substantially constant tension thereinindependent of said movements of said pad so that said plurality of rodsprovides a constant support force to said support pad.